Town wants law changed for Sandy Hook responders

Nanci G. Hutson

Published 5:42 pm, Wednesday, January 9, 2013

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At a glance
The Newtown Police Commission unanimously adopted a resolution Tuesday asking the state workers compensation law to provide benefits for physical and emotional injury suffered during and after the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School.
The resolution was forwarded to Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, House Speaker Brendan Sharkey and Senate Pro Tempore Donald Williams.

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NEWTOWN -- The Newtown Police Commission voted unanimously Tuesday night to ask Gov. Dannel P. Malloy and other state leaders to revise the state workers compensation law to provide benefits to police, first responders, teachers and school staff who suffered physical and emotional injury due to the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting Dec. 14.

The massacre of 20 first-graders and six staff members, including Principal Dawn Hochsprung, at the kindergarten to fourth-grade school was a scene that many veteran police have described as the most horrific they have ever witnessed, and the emotional toll may forever impact them and their careers.

In opening the special commission meeting Tuesday, Paul Mangiafico, commission chairman, said 25 days earlier Newtown "suffered an immensely destructive act that probably will be with us for the rest of our lives.

"We lost 26 souls, 20 wonderful children, the town's greatest asset, taken by an evil, insane act," he said of one of the worst incidences of school violence in the nation's history.

The killer, 20-year-old Adam Lanza, also shot and killed his mother, Nancy, before blasting his way into the school building. After his shooting spree he committed suicide.

Mangiafico then asked for eveyone at the meeting to stand for 26 seconds of silence.

Police union Officer Scott Ruszczyk praised police from across the state and the community members who have rallied behind the local police.

He noted the department's health insurance and state's workers compensation laws do not provide services for post-traumatic stress disorder. He applauded the efforts of officials working to change the law to make them available.

Commissioner Joel Faxon said the workers compensation law needs to be rectified because of what police officers, teachers and others have suffered as a direct result of the Sandy Hook tragedy.

He made a motion to endorse a resolution, and it was endorsed by his fellow commission members.

The motion was:

"Given the extraordinary effort and bravery exhibited by members of the Newtown Police Department, first responders, teachers and staff of the Sandy Hook Elementary School, fairness and compassion dictates that the workers compensation laws of Connecticut be amended to provide appropriate benefits for all those that sustained physical or emotional injury as a consequence of their heroic efforts within the scope of their employment on and after Dec. 14, 2012."